Reservoir-System Model for the Willamette River Basin, Oregon
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Reservoir-System Model for the Willamette River Basin, Oregon By James 0. Shearman RIVER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THE WILLAMETTE RIVER BASIN, OREGON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 715-H 1976 United States Department of the Interior THOMAS S. KLEPPE, Secretary Geological Survey V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Shearman, James 0. Reservoir-system model for the Willamette River Basin, Oregon. (River-quality assessment of the Willamette River Basin, Oregon) (U.S. Geological Survey Circular 715-H) Bibliography: p. 22. 1. Willamette River watershed. 2. Stream measurements-Mathematical models. 3. Stream measurements-Data processing. 4. Reservoirs-Mathematical models. 5. Reservoirs-Data processing. I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: United States Geological Survey Circular 715-H. QE75.CS no. 715-H[GB1225.07] 557.3'08s [627'.86'097953] 76-608239 Free on application to Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey, 12 0 0 South Eads Street, Arlington, VA 2 2 2 o 2 FOREWORD The American public has identified the enhancement and protection of river quality as an important national goal, and recent laws have given this commit ment considerable force. As a consequence, a considerable investment has been made in the past few years to improve the quality of the Nation's rivers. Further improvements will require substantial expenditures and the consumption of large amounts of energy. For these reasons, it is important that alternative plans for river-quality management be scientifically assessed in terms of their relative ability to produce environmental benefits. To aid this endeavor, this circular series presents a case history of an intensive river-quality assessment in the Willamette River basin, Oregon. The series examines approaches to and results of critical aspects of river quality assessment. The first several circulars describe approaches for providing technically sound, timely information for river-basin planning and manage ment. Specific topics include practical approaches to mathematical modeling, analysis of river hydrology, analysis of earth resources-river quality relations, and development of data-collection programs for assessing specific problems. The later circulars describe the application of approaches to existing or potential river-quality problems in the Willamette River basin. Specific topics include maintenance of high-level dissolved oxygen in the river, effects of reservoir release patterns on downstream river quality, algal growth potential, distribu tion of toxic metals, and the significance of erosion potential to proposed future land and water uses. Each circular is the product of a study devoted to developing resource informa tion for general use. The circulars are written to be informative and useful to informed laymen, resource planners, and resource scientists. This design stems from the recognition that the ultimate success of river-quality assessment depends on the clarity and utility of approaches and results as well as their basic scientific validity. Individual circulars will be published in an alphabetical sequence in the Geological Survey Circular 715 series entitled ~(River-Quality Assessment of the Willamette River Basin, Oregon." J. S. Cragwall, Jr. Chief Hydrologist III Cover: Willamette River as it winds through Portland, Oregon. Photograph taken by Hugh Ackroyd. CONTENTS Page 1\bstract ______________________________________________________________________________ Ill Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1\cknovvledgment -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Description of basin __ __ _ ___ __ __ __ __ __ _ ___ __ _ _ ____ __ _ ___ __ __ __ __ __ _ ___ ____ __ ____ __ __ _ _ 2 ~odeling objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 ~odel selection ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Input data preparation---------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Strea~ftovv data------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 Reservoir characteristics ---------------------------------------------------------- 8 Diversion data____________________________________________________________________ 11 Climatological data __ _ ___ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ ___ __ __ __ _ ___ ____ __ _ __ _ _ ___ __ ____ __ __ _ __ _ __ __ 11 Other data ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 ~odel calibration __ ___ ___ __ ______ __ _ ____ ______ ___ _ _____ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ ___ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ __ 11 ~odel verification __ __ _ ___ __ _ ___ __ __ _ _____ __ _____ __ _______ __ __ __ __ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ _ __ __ 11 1\pplications of the model______________________________________________________________ 18 Summary and discussion -------------------------------------------------------------- 19 References cited ---------------------------------------------~------------------------ 22 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. ~ap shovving study area______________________________________________________________________________ Ill 2-13. Graphs shovving: 2. Frequency-discharge relations at Salem, 1926-73 _________ ______________ ______________ _________ 5 3. Frequency-discharge relations at Salem computed from short sequences of observed steamflovv ____ 6 4. Relation betvveen annual minimu~ 7-day and annual minimu~ 30-day discharges, 1926-71 ______ 6 5. Relation betvveen annual minimum 7-day and annual minimu~ monthly discharges, 1926-71 ____ 7 6. Typical rule curve of reservoir operation in the Willamette River basin-------------------------- 9 7. Evaporation relations for the Willamette River basin ------------------------------------------ 13 8. Distribution of model errors, January 1970 through September 1973 ---------------------------- 16 9. Comparison of design, observed, and computed reservoir-system storage ------------------------ 17 10. Frequency-discharge relations at Salem, 1926-73, computed from simulated streamftovv for existing (regulated) conditions and from estimated streamftovv for natural (unregulated! conditions ____ 18 11. Frequency-discharge relations at Salem, 1926-73, co~puted from simulated streamftovvs reflecting the existing reservoir system subjected to different estimated ftovv diversions ---------------- 20 12. Frequency-discharge relations at Salem, 1926-73, computed from discharges for calendar months__ 21 13. Frequency-discharge relations at Salem, 1926-73, co~puted from minimum multimonthly discharge 21 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Selected information for the 13 reservoirs in the Willamette River basin reservoir system ---------------- II4 2. Classification of streamftovv at Salem relevant to stage of reservoir-system development ------------------ 5 3. Relationships used to extend unregulated, monthly streamftovv data through 1973------------------------ 8 4. Rule curve storage data used in the IIEC-3 ~odeL _____________________________________________________ 10 5. Flovv diversion data used in the IIEC-3 model -------------------------------------------------------- 12 6. Summary of model verification results __________________________________________________________ ------ 14 7. Classification of model errors into absolute error limits ------------------------------------------------ 15 v Page TABLE 8. Summary of modeling errors with absolute value exceeding 15 percent ---------------------------------- 15 9. Summation of total end-of-month storage and monthly storage charges specified by the design rule ct-rves for 11 reservoirs in the Willamette River basin reservoir system __________ ------------------------------ 17 10. Determination of tQm and tQ 7 at Salem for the simulated streamflows reflecting the 1970 and 2020 flow diversions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 CONVERSION FACTORS Factors for converting English units to metric units are listed below. In the text, the metric equivalents are shown only to the number of significant figures consistent with the values for the English units. Multiply English umt By To obtam metric wut feet (ftl Q.3048 metres (ml cubic feet per second lft3/sl 0.02832 cubic metres per second (m3/s) miles (mil 1.609 kilometres ( km) square miles (mi::lJ 2.59 square kilometres (km2J acre-feet (acre-ft l 1.234x 10-6 cubic kilometres (km3J acre-feet (acre-ftl 1.234x10-3 cubic hectometres (hm3J thousands of acre-feet (acre-ftx 103) 1.234 cubic hectometres <hm3) VI Reservoir-System Model For The Willamette River Basin, Oregon By James 0. Shearman ABSTRACT system in the Willamette River basin represents Evaluation of basin-development alternatives in terms of a very significant component of the overall basin potential impacts on river quality for the Willamette River development. Observed streamflow data that are basin, Oregon, requires determining the low-flow characteris available are not adequate to assess the impact of tics of streamflow resulting from ( 1) unregulated !natural) existing reservoir-system conditions on river conditions and !2) regulated (by existing or alternative reser voir system) conditions. Observed streamflow data that are quality (see subsequent section, "Modeling Objec presently (1973) available are insufficient for reliably estimat tives"). Furthermore, any modification of the ing these required low-flow characteristics. This report de existing reservoir system would likely have some scribes ! 1 l a method for estimating monthly